


Daylight

by wanderlustlights



Series: 14 Days of Valentine's Day Fics [4]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, College, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22745434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderlustlights/pseuds/wanderlustlights
Summary: The morning sun is shining in through the window, casting the white walls in a hazy yellow glow and reflecting off of Kurt’s bare skin as he sleeps, quiet noises of contentment falling from his lips every so often.
Relationships: Kurt Hummel/Sebastian Smythe, past Kurt Hummel/Blaine Anderson
Series: 14 Days of Valentine's Day Fics [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1620160
Comments: 4
Kudos: 99





	Daylight

**Author's Note:**

> So, like... this is AU. In an AU where Kurt never said yes to Blaine's proposal in 5.01 but did end up getting back together with him and Blaine cheated on him, a lot. That's not a super big part of the story but is a main reason why they didn't stay together past season 5 (if that makes any sense lol). Kurt ended up breaking up with him and transferring from NYADA to NYU to pursue an English major. 
> 
> Inspired by "Daylight" by Taylor Swift and also "Fallin' All In You" by Shawn Mendes.

It wasn’t until spring semester of Kurt’s first year at NYU after transferring from NYADA that they’d run into one another again. Call it kismet, call it fate, what have you; whatever it was, the world seemed to spin on its axis the moment he walked into that damn cafe, some magnetic pull drawing him into the place.

“Of all the coffee shops in all of New York, you had to walk into this one.”

Kurt turned at the _Casablanca_ reference, groaning at the sight of Sebastian walking toward him.

“Oh god, please don’t tell me you’re _still_ skulking around coffee shops,” Kurt said, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood in line. “That’s so passé, really very 2012 of you, Alvin. Perhaps you should find a new hobby to occupy your time in between screwing random strangers.”

Sebastian turned an amused eyebrow on him, sauntering closer to him with a quirk of his lips. “You know what else is _passé,_ Gayface, is old, biting nicknames,” he countered.

“Yet here we are, exactly where we left off. I guess some things just never change, do they.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” said Sebastian. “I heard you finally dumped the hipster grandpa.”

Kurt hummed, seeming bored at the mention of Blaine. “Yes, his constant inability to keep his dick in his pants for the majority of the time that we were together proved to be the breaking point for me and I decided I was done forgiving him every time he failed to take my feelings into account. Imagine that. I’m just glad I never got as far as marrying him.”

“You’d have been miserable.”

“Evidently.”

They fell into a stilted silence as the line continued to move forward until they were the next people to order.

“Let me buy your coffee”

“Considering the hell you put me through in senior year I’d say you owe me at least ten, wouldn’t you?”

Sebastian scowled at the mention of that year, knowing full well how awful he’d treated the lot of them, Kurt in particular. “How about you just let me continue to buy for you until you feel my debt has been erased?”

Kurt nodded once. “I suppose that seems fair,” he acquiesced with a small smile. “So. I know what I’m doing in New York, but what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Why are _you_ here?”

“I’m Pre-Law at NYU, actually,” Sebastian said, pausing as they ordered and moved to the end of the counter to wait. “You?”

“Funnily enough,” Kurt said as they grabbed their respective drinks, “I actually transferred to NYU this year. Majoring in English. I’ve decided to make it my goal to become an editor of any fashion magazine will have me, though my ultimate destination would be _Vogue_ , of course. Go ahead and laugh, taunt me, call me a girl, whatever classic Sebastian thing you’re about to say. I don’t care. It’s what I want to do with my life.”

Sebastian quirked a confused eyebrow at that. “I wasn’t going to say anything, I swear. It’s just — I thought you went to some fancy pants arts school or something.”

Kurt shrugged as they walked to sit at a table. “I was. Decided that ultimately it just wasn’t for me. I’m perfectly happy to sit out of the spotlight and sing to my heart’s content at karaoke bars or in my shower. Not everyone is cut out for fighting for leading roles in musicals or recording contracts, I’ve found.”

“I always thought you were Broadway bound like that spunky Barbra wannabe you always insisted on hanging out with.”

Kurt sighed. “So did I, for a while anyway. But despite what you might think, just because you have an affinity for listening to Broadway musicals day in and day out it definitely doesn’t mean you have enough talent to actually be _on_ Broadway,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Not that you really care what I think,” Sebastian started, piquing Kurt’s interest at the tone, “but if there’s one word I never would have pinned on you, it’s _untalented_.”

Kurt stared at him, a tiny smile stretching across his lips. “Did Sebastian Smythe just give me a compliment? My god, are pigs flying outside, too, because this has to be the end of the freaking world or something.”

“Not the end of the world. Just an observation.” Sebastian let out a groan, checking his watch begrudgingly. “Much as it pains me to say it, I should probably go. I have class in like twenty minutes.”

“Right,” Kurt said, smile faltering. “I’ll see you around, then, I suppose.”

Sebastian paused, assessing him for a moment. “Are you around tomorrow?”

“Perhaps. Why?”

Sebastian shrugged, standing. “Just thought we could pick this back up then if you’re not busy.”

“I’m done with classes at noon and for once actually have the rest of the day free.”

“Be here at one?” Sebastian said, and grinned, for once warming Kurt instead of making him feel threatened or inferior. It was strange seeing such a welcoming expression on his face. All he’d ever known of Sebastian in high school was that he was overly confident and a jackass, and while he still seemed confident, Kurt thought maybe there was something more there that he hadn’t seen before. “I think I wanna start chipping away at that debt I owe you.”

Kurt clutched his cup tighter, willing himself not to see Sebastian as anything more than a tentative acquaintance, someone he hardly even knew a few years ago as anything other than a rival and potential boyfriend thief. Someone he just so happened to run into in a random New York coffee shop; decidedly _not_ a possible romantic partner.

Even if Sebastian Smythe was far too attractive for his own good and someone who had a wonderfully dazzling smile. Not that Kurt would ever in a million years willingly admit that to anyone but himself.

“I, uhm—” he cleared his throat, flashing him a brief smile. “I’ll be here.”

“See you then, Kurt.”

“Sebastian.”

Looking back on it, what happened next really wasn’t all that surprising. Even on that first day there had been an unspoken kind of tension, though they never admitted it toward one another, never said that there was even the tiniest bit of mutual attraction back then.

Coffee dates on random occasions turned into daily occurrences, which morphed into random shopping trips to stores on Fifth Avenue _(“Thank god you got rid of those tacky popped collars or there would be no way I would ever be seen in public with you, I’ll have you know.”)_ and late night study sessions at their apartments though they didn’t share any classes _(“You know, you really need to get a better lock on this door, babe. It’s fucking Bushwick. Do you_ want _to get robbed of all of your atrocious clothes?”)_ which turned into hanging out for no reason other than enjoying each other’s company, loathe as Kurt was to admit that he actually _liked_ spending time with Sebastian, which Sebastian could say the same for himself.

Kurt dragged Sebastian to off Broadway musicals with him and Coney Island, while Sebastian brought him to clubs and bars, always claiming that Kurt needed to loosen up.

“I loosen up just fine, thank you very much.”

“Look, the stuck up princess act might have worked for Blaine because he was the only gay guy you really knew or who gave you a chance but this is New York. And as much as I hate to admit it, you’re actually super hot. Like fucking gorgeous. If you lost the icy attitude the men would come clamoring to you and you could get any guy you wanted.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow at that. “And here I thought you liked me for who I am. Silly me.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like you, babe, I just said maybe you should let loose and stop putting up such a wall all the time.”

Kurt snorted. “Yeah, because you don’t do exactly the same thing. Sure. You’re one to talk, Smythe.”

Sebastian halted his steps immediately, grabbing onto Kurt’s arm to stop him as well from where they’d been walking down the street to the bookstore. The late spring air was warm, swirling all around them in a mixture of heat and the scents wafting out through the open door of the bakery.

“I have my guard up for a reason, Kurt. You wanna talk about putting up walls, well, I have every right to.”

“I — I didn’t say you didn’t have a right to have your guard up around people. But I do, too.” Kurt sighed. “You know how hard things were for me, how bad they got. So if I have my walls up around certain people it’s to save myself from getting hurt again like I was before. And between you and me, if you actually let someone in and see the real you then you could have anyone you wanted to as well. And then maybe other people will see what I see when I’m with you.”

Sebastian let out a short, somber laugh. “Oh yeah, and what’s that?”

Kurt paused, wondering if he should really say it, if it would change anything. Probably not. Sebastian would still be his friend, someone he never thought would grow on him as much as he had. Yet there they were, somewhere he never would have thought they would be three years ago. Friends with a strange, unspoken connection.

Kurt swallowed hard around the lump forming in his throat and said it anyway, knowing full well it wouldn’t change what they were.

“Someone who is incredible,” said Kurt. “Who, despite what he shows everyone else, has a good heart and who actually really cares about people. Someone I’m glad to call my friend.”

Sebastian didn’t say anything for a moment, merely choosing to stare at Kurt as though he was attempting to solve a nearly impossible problem on Kurt’s face.

Kurt squirmed under his gaze, mouth opening and closing as he tried to figure out what to say, Sebastian’s hand on his bare arm feeling like it was starting to burn his skin. He cleared his throat, ridding them of the tension.

“Do you want to get a cinnamon roll?” he asked, giving Sebastian a hopeful smile. Hopeful that this weird feeling would go away, hopeful that his heart would stop beating so hard in his chest as though it was about to explode. “I heard this place makes the best ones in a fifty mile radius.”

Sebastian dropped his hand, face morphing so that familiar teasing smirk was back in place. “You’re so fucking sappy, Hummel. But sure.”

Kurt walked quickly into the shop, head pounding as hard as his heart.

Fall came quickly after a summer of not seeing each other nearly enough, Kurt working as much as he could to afford his share of the rent in New York and Sebastian bringing him to bars and trying at every opportunity to get him laid. Which, of course, didn’t work, though not for lack of trying. While Kurt was left pining over Sebastian in a way he hadn’t done since his massive crush on Blaine in junior year, Sebastian was trying anything to get Kurt out of his system, and that included being the world’s best wingman to someone who deemed himself insufferable and unworthy. _(“I told you before and I’ll tell you again, babe. You’re a ten. Own it. It’s not your looks that’s chasing guys away, it’s your lack of self confidence.”)_ Kurt tried his best to be happy when guys offered to buy him drinks, tipping his glass to Sebastian with the best smile he could manage while Sebastian danced with his lay of the night, but always excused himself before things could progress any further.

He didn’t want a quick fuck in the bathroom of a seedy bar or nightclub; he wanted Sebastian. And that realization that always seemed to strike him at the most inopportune of times somehow hurt more than he’d ever thought it would.

Because Sebastian didn’t want him, that much was clear, if his actions (or lack thereof) were anything to go by.

He had hoped that maybe one day Sebastian might come to his senses and actually do something about this strange relationship they had but that possibility just seemed to be moving further away from him, and quickly, too.

The nights when he would go home alone and lonely were the hardest of all.

Until the day when everything changed and their lives were altered forever. It was like this big bright ray of sun shining down on them, a sign that something big was going to happen.

The morning was beautiful, full of a spectacular sunrise that lit the sky outside of Kurt’s bedroom window as he woke and got ready for the day. Bright all throughout the late morning while he walked to classes, the sun beaming down on him all the while, bright with just a hint of warmth as he made his way to the coffee shop. It wasn’t until that afternoon while he was with Sebastian in their usual spot, however, that the sky started to darken.

“We should probably start walking back before it gets too bad out there,” Kurt said reluctantly.

In the end it didn’t work, since they’d barely made it half a city block before the skies opened up and the rain started to pour down on them. Kurt let out a shriek before Sebastian grabbed his hand and they started to run to the other side of the street, the water splashing on the ground beneath their feet. By the time they got to the other side and were standing under the awning of a building, they were drenched, Kurt’s sweater clinging to his chest and Sebastian’s long sleeved Henley soaked through. Kurt was just glad he was wearing his boots and not shoes that could be easily ruined, though he couldn’t say the same for the state of his hair which was sticking to his forehead. He heard Sebastian let out a grunt before running a hand through his hair and leaving it sticking up oddly which, in combination with the annoyed scowl on his face, caused Kurt to slowly break out into a fit of giggles, doubling over in laughter as it only made Sebastian even more annoyed.

“If you’re quite done,” Sebastian started but the look on his face only made Kurt laugh harder.

“I’m sorry, sorry, it’s just — you look like you’ve been electrocuted.”

“And you look like a cat who drowned in the bathtub,” Sebastian shot back.

Kurt shrugged a shoulder, still smiling even as his laughter subsided and he leaned back against the brick wall to steady himself. He let his eyes flicker down to Sebastian’s lips briefly as Sebastian rolled his eyes in annoyance and looked off to the side with a huff, smile fading a bit to be replaced by curiosity. Curiosity about what what it might be like to finally take a chance, consequences be damned, what it might be like to kiss him and lick along that prominent jawline fully on display to him at the moment, what it would be like to wake up next to him—

“Sebastian…”

“What?” he spat, though the venom was miles away from his tone. He sounded almost _defeated_ , if anything.

Kurt bit his lip, trying to stop the words from flowing out, though he knew they were inevitable. “Sebastian, look at me. Please, just—”

When Sebastian did finally turn his head back, there was a certain kind of sadness in his eyes, as though he’d already resigned himself to his fate, thinking the odds were most definitely not on his side.

Slowly Kurt moved forward, following Sebastian as he took a few steps back into the rain and swallowing hard as he cupped Sebastian’s cheek in his hand. Sebastian stared back at him, eyebrows furrowed together as he let out a nearly inaudible whimper in the pounding of the rain surrounding them.

“What are you so afraid of?” Kurt breathed, thumb swiping across Sebastian’s face. His voice was quiet as he tried to give a reassuring smile and shrugged one shoulder. “It’s just me.”

“No,” Sebastian replied, shaking his head minutely. “It’s _you_. There is no ‘just’ when it comes to you.”

“Then why are you always pushing me away?” Kurt asked, not sure if he really even wanted to know the truth but knowing he needed it nonetheless. “I don’t want some other guy, Sebastian. I — I want you.”

Sebastian let out a sad laugh, lowering his eyes. “You don’t want me, Kurt, I’m a fucking mess. Everything about me is just… ”

“And I’m not? God, we both are, but so what? I’m not asking for perfection. All I’m asking for is — is for you to let me in.” He paused, waiting for Sebastian to raise his head again and look him in the eyes. He wasn’t sure he could say something so vastly important without being able to see those green eyes staring so intently back at him, wanted to see his reaction even as his chest was aching. “To let me love you. Because god, Seb, I love you so fucking much. I love you. _I love you._ And it’s been killing me not to say it.”

Sebastian stared, not sure what to say to that, what he could possibly say to ease the tension.

“Just — just tell me you don’t feel the same way about me and I’ll go, we’ll never talk about this ever again. Tell me there’s no possible way this’ll ever happen.” Kurt dropped his hand with a sigh, letting it fall back to his side. “Tell me you don’t have any feelings for me and maybe I can finally move on and stop waiting around.”

“I…” Sebastian started, cutting himself off and swiping a hand over his face to stop himself from saying anything else or doing something stupid, and shook his head resolutely.

“What?” Kurt snapped. “You what? God, just say something, would you?” The rain was still pouring down, unrelenting and causing his sweater to soak through as they merely stood there staring at one another with the water running down their faces.

Sebastian shook his head, and with a growl, started walking back down the street in the direction of his apartment, arms crossed over his chest.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Kurt screamed, affronted, following without another thought. “I’m not done talking to you!”

“Yeah, you are,” Sebastian yelled back, not bothering to turn around as he quickened his steps.

“I’m _not_ ,” Kurt said and pulled at his shoulder, making Sebastian spin around on his heel.

“Jesus, Kurt, what do you want me to say here? That you’re all I think about and it’s been bugging the shit out of me? That I hate that I fell for you like this? Fine. I hate that I can’t get you out of my mind. I hate that you’re the first thing I think about when I wake up. I hate that getting just one of your stupid little texts makes my day a thousand times better. I hate that anytime something good happens you’re the first person I want to tell. I hate that I told myself I’d never fall in love with someone and then you fucking walked back into my life and made me think that maybe I was wrong, that maybe not everyone is out to disappoint you or make your life complete shit. I hate — I hate that I love you, you fucking idiot,” he said, voice breaking. “Because you’re an idiot if you think I’d ever be able to not fall in love with you.”

Kurt was silent, just staring at him for a long moment as a mixture of the raindrops and tears pooled on his eyelashes before finally blinking them away as a breathless smile overtook him. “Your speech was better than mine,” he finally said, voice low and slightly awestruck, not sure what else to say.

Sebastian scowled, though it didn’t seem quite genuine, more annoyed than anything. “Yeah, well, I had to do something to one up you. You said it first, so…” he grumbled.

Slowly Kurt moved closer, bringing his hands up and placing them hesitantly on Sebastian’s shoulders. He took a deep, shuddering breath, feeling the effects of the autumn rain causing him to shiver. “You love me.”

Sebastian squirmed under his touch, sputtering for a moment as he tried to think of a proper reply. “Maybe a little.”

“You love me.”

“And you also annoy the shit out of me, so what?”

Kurt snaked his arms around Sebastian’s neck, hands clasped at the back, smiling wider. “You love me.”

“You repeating it doesn’t change anything, you know. In fact I think I’m ready to take it back and pretend this never happened.”

Kurt snook his head. “You can’t take it back now, Smythe, it’s already out there. You played your hand, you told me you loved me, and now you’re stuck with me.” He threaded his hand through Sebastian’s hair, beaming. “ _Because you love me._ ”

“Yeah,” Sebastian finally conceded. “Yeah, I do.”

Grinning, Kurt brought him down into a fervent kiss, a spark of warmth running through him to ease the cold of the unrelenting rain, knowing in the back of his mind that this was it for him. Now that he had this boy in his arms — this beautiful, complicated, snarky yet loving boy — there was no way in hell he could let him go.

—

There isn’t much that can really compare to waking up next to someone, that Sebastian knows for certain.

Kurt is curled up on his side, one of his legs thrown over Sebastian’s own and locked at the back by his knees.

The morning sun is shining in through the window, casting the white walls in a hazy yellow glow and reflecting off of Kurt’s bare skin as he sleeps, quiet noises of contentment falling from his lips every so often. He found out early on in their relationship three years ago that Kurt has a habit of humming in his sleep. Kurt had adamantly denied it, a flush high on his cheeks that let Sebastian know that he knew very well that it did it but didn’t want to admit to it, most likely due to the fact that it was the morning after they had slept together for the first time and Kurt had been embarrassed at being in such a vulnerable position so early on after starting to date. _(“I never said I didn’t like it, babe, really. I think it’s… cute, actually.” “Well I don’t do that so there’s nothing to find cute.” “It is cute, though. You sound… I don’t know. Happy.” Kurt eyed him warily, scrutinizing. “Happy?” “Yeah,” said Sebastian, nodding. “You sound happy.” Kurt curled into him, face softening as he hid his face in Sebastian’s shoulder. “I am happy. With you, I mean. Really, unbelievably, would have never thought three years ago that this would ever happen kind of happy. I — I love you, Seb.” Sebastian smiled, reaching up to pull him down into a kiss. “God help me I love you, too.”)_

Sebastian brushes back a stray hair from Kurt’s forehead that had fallen into his face, causing Kurt to shift at the sudden touch, gentle as it was.

Kurt lets out a whine of protest, blinking slowly, lids still heavy with sleep before finally focusing on Sebastian.

“Were you watching me sleep again?”

Sebastian shrugs one shoulder, cheeks heating with slight embarrassment. “Maybe.”

“Creeper,” Kurt says, but smiles softly anyway. He shifts around on the sheets, arching his back to stretch it, moaning at the feel of his muscles relaxing with the movement. His eyes catch Sebastian’s once more, scrutinizing. “You look so serious,” he comments quietly. “What were you thinking about?”

Sebastian shakes his head, lips quirking up into a smile. “Nothing, just… thinking. How much I love you. How I must have done something seriously good in a previous lifetime to be able to call you mine.”

Kurt smiles in return, rolling his eyes fondly before closing them again. “You’re so fucking sappy, Smythe.”

“Learned from the best, Smythe.”

Kurt hums, smiling wider and curling in closer to Sebastian’s side as he hides his face in Sebastian’s shoulder. “We’re married,” he says quietly, a touch of giddiness and awe in his voice. “We’re _married_ , Seb.” He presses a kiss to his shoulder, insistent enough that Sebastian can feel his heart beating hard on his chest. “I can’t believe we actually eloped. It still doesn’t feel real. Ugh, my dad’s gonna kill me.”

“Believe me, babe, it’s real. You want proof, just check out these rings.”

Kurt smiles and rolls over so that he’s splayed on top of Sebastian, a leg on each side to straddle him. “By far the most spontaneous thing I think I’ve ever done,” he says, grinning.

Sebastian smiles back, looking so spectacularly free and ecstatic in the way that he hardly ever does except on the rare occasion that it makes Kurt unbelievably glad that he took a chance that day and finally confessed his feelings. Because Sebastian is fucking glorious, and no more so than when the sun is shining through the window and warming his skin to the point of glowing.

Making love that morning, tangled up in the sheets and one another, Kurt can’t help but thank his lucky stars that he ended up with such a gorgeous man. His new husband — this amazing, loving, sexy man — is beautiful. And there’s no way in a million years he could ever regret walking into that coffee shop that day.


End file.
